 I'm planning on being there for a few hours this evening as I work in London. Maybe I'll see some of you there? John
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 I'm going on Saturday (with my mum! I feel like a kid again)
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 Im going on Sunday if anyones going then!
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Ha! A relay meet...
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 I might go on Sunday, but have a drinking session planned for Saturday night so there's a good chance I'll stay in bed 
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Thats why im going sunday and not saturday.On the lash friday night. 
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It was the first time I've been to an outdoors show so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a weird mix in a way. But I did enjoy myself. The bits I liked : I climbed a section of the skymasters challenge (wasn't feeling up to the full lead) but it was quite fun being on a wall that wasn't staying still! Beneath that was a DMM stall where there were some good deals to be had on climbing hardware - I was very restrained and only came away with a 30m rope for the climbing wall but was very pleased with that (30m of Mammut Infinity for £40 - less than half price in the Promo bundle). I talked (as I tend to) with lots of folk. Nice chats with the Cicerone people, Paramo, a new (to me) UK brand of natural energy bars and food products called Pulsin - very tasty - and spoke with a few of the charity & expedition organisers. It wasn't that busy so I had them to myself - unlucky for them! There were also some nice whole foods and specialty food shops which made for a nice distraction and allowed me to enjoy the excellent whisky cheddar from the Snowdonia Cheese Company which I last had a few years ago but recognised instantly! I managed to try on a klattermusen noatun at which was the first time I'd seen one in the flesh. Outstanding jacket - and I mean that literally ; no other shell I've seen comes close. I think it was one of the original specifications ones before the recently dropped the spec and the price; on the ticket it was marked from £545 down to £250 or there abouts which hardly makes it a steal but you'll not find one at that price elsewhere I would think. As I got there later than planned after work I didn't have time to explore the bike show but I watched some impressive stunt biking. I'm tempted to go back this evening but if it wasn't a slight detour in my regular london commute I don't think I'd have travelled far to see the show.
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anything you didnt like John? How was the range of exhibitors?
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PD, I was there from about three hours yesterday ; that was enough for me just focussing on the Outdoors Show. I would have liked to spend an hour or two at the bike and boat show (all under the same ticket) but had to get home to Cambridge! I didn’t see any of the speakers though I heard that they were of mixed standards from very good to enough to put you to sleep! The was also a fairly mixed bag of stands. There were a handful of shops selling quite a varied range of outdoors brands at quite good prices, a similar number of shops and stands focussing on the bushcraft side of things, a couple of good book shops (cicerone had some very good value seconds quality books) and a large number of single-interest stands ranging from charities to adventure travel agencies to products. I wasn’t that impressed by the range of brands represented and there was little in the way of a common theme holding it all together. The Nordic Outdoor shop had some lovely kit – the Klattermusen I mentioned as well as lots of other Scando brands such as Nanok, Tentipi, Aclima (very nice merino kit) but all quite pricey. The best ‘shop’ for me was the DMM place where I could have blown a fortune if I hadn’t been more disciplined! I was also tempted by the Mayan Mask finger-board (£60 coloured orange) from a Bulgarian outfit called HRT-Holds (sister company of Walltopia) – my daughter would love it!  I also liked the British fare fair! Some very tasty things to try. But I don’t really see the tie-in to outdoors, other than the fact that you’ll need something to eat?! Actually, you might find you could make some useful contacts as – if I am right - you are involved in education? There were plenty of organisations involving instructing young people, getting outdoors qualifications, organising expeditions and various charities. I suppose I tend to look for the positives and I didn’t pay for my ticket or travel – but I’d have my reservations about coming from far away and paying to enter as it wasn’t overwhelmingly good.
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hmmm, ok. I have to admit, I wasnt overwhelmed by the list of exhibitors on the website. compared to some shows I have been to, well, the lack of big name brands says it all really. Im looking forward to the bouldering and I hope I'm not going to be dissapointed. But I also hope to pick up a couple bits of replacement kit. At least it sounds like I will be able to talk to someone about getting my WGL done
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I am glad I did not try to go if these reviews are anything to go by. Very sad it has moved to London. Why does everything have to be in the South East? Manchester would be a far better venue and location. In the middle of the country, and nearer to the best outdoors places like, (in no particular order), the Peak District, the Lakes, Wales, Scotland etc. C'mon Outdoors Show, get your act together!
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 Isn't the point that the Outdoors show is,at best, marginally viable on its own? I t has therefore combined with the London Bike Show and the London Boat show.
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 That's what I thought Frum, but I've noticed that they're doing an "Outdoors Leisure" show at the NEC later this year too, and at first glance it seems very similar to what the Outdoors Show generally offers.
Im popping over to the eXcel this morning since its only a short journey on the DLR. Hopefully I'll see some of the Cicerone talks as they're usually entertaining. Other than that I have few ambitions.
Last year I won a 3-night stay in the NT's Craflwyn Bunkhouse for 12 people, so I intend to seek out competitions.
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 must admit, i had a free ticket but still didnt bother going, having been to the nec for the last three odd years it doesnt sound like the london show is much different. not enough gear there to my mind, not that i'm a gear junkie or owt!
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I was pretty disappointed, it was much smaller than it was at the NEC and there were very few interesting stands and very little gear to buy.
Enjoyed a talk by Kev Reynolds, tried some nice food, ate as many energy bar samples as possible, got loads of free ecover all-purpose cleaner, bought a book and a DVD. I was looking for a new soft shell and found one new company called Jeff Green who seemed to be making some very good value clothing, though not particularly excellent. Probably won't bother going next year.
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Disappointing.
Out of the list of things I wanted to buy, I only managed to get one thing... socks. I really did want to look at more gear. Even the blacks stand seemed to be selling off cheap, crappy gear at expensive prices.
Saying that, the nordic place was selling 3/4 exped down mats off at £49.
And considering that place was hosting the British Bouldering Championships, which by the way was fantastic, there was only 2 climbing gear stands. Didn't find any climbing shoes. Pretty miffed.
Didn't even find much in the way of BEL/WGL/ML qualification providers.
Very disappointing.
Had more fun walking round the luxury yachts in the boat show.
But the bouldering was good. Some very challenging problems, especially with the volumes
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Doh... missed the ecover freebies! PD, there were climbing shoes for sale - a small climbing shop had shoes, helmets, harnesses etc. (mostly Red Chilli shoes by the look of it) I've never been to the NEC but I would agree that it wasn't great and that the Boat Show is clearly the 'big ticket' item onto which the others have been spliced. As I was shopping around for a rope I was happy I went just to get that taken care of, but if I was in the gear market I wouldn't have been too thrilled either. Most was either very expensive or very low quality. Some stalls even seem to have shot themselves in the foot with what they had brought with them. I would have happily bought a bamboo 'BAM' baselayer short sleeve t-shirt ... if they had any! Hope it didn't cost you too much to get there...
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only about £12.
And I was pretty happy with the BBC's Would have been better if there was more seating. At one point I stood on a chair to see. But it was still pretty cool.
john, I know the stand you are talking about. They only had 3 different models from red chilli, and only one pair in my size which got pulled off the rack just as I saw them. Thats what I mean. Didn't find the expert advise and choice that I was hoping for.
did you try the sausages? I had wild boar and apple. It was amazing.
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I hadnt been to the outdoor show at the NEC for about 3 or 4 years. I must say nothing much changed but i did enjoy going this time. I thought it was good being in london. It was easier for me to get to for once. I enjoyed the lecture i attended and found the whole atmosphere great. Scotland has its own which I beleive is happening right now? I dont think there is a need to go to it every year but attendiung every so often is good.
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Me and my brother in law went on Friday travelling down fom Herefordshire 3hr drive. I have to say i was very very disapointed at the lack of anything. It was an outdoor show and i didnt see any tents for sale, any cooking equipment or ration packs. I had gone with intention of buying a PFD but all i could find were the type worn on yatchs. There was very little in the way of canoes and associated items which i still think is very strange as the was an experance pool were you could try kayaking. So i short i will never go again. There were things i did enjoy like trying ice climbing and the stand up paddle boarding but not what i expected from this show.
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